Monthly Archives: June 2011

Scholarship Awards
Members of the Ko`olaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club will be honoring our 2011 scholarship winners at an awards ceremony on Tuesday, July 5th, 7 p.m., at the Queen Lili`uokalani Children’s Center on Ha`iku Road. The ceremony will be preceded by a pa`ina at 6 p.m. and a short business meeting at 6:30 p.m. Following the awards ceremony, there will be a coffee hour and sharing of mo`olelo Ko`olau by kupuna Ishmael Stagner.

Ahu-building workshopMembers of the civic club and residents of Ko`olaupoko will be undertaking special training by master stone-worker Billy Fields on Saturday, June 25th, at Papahana Kuaola in Ha`iku Valley. The training will involve learning to build stone ahu markers to identify boundaries of some of the ahupua`a in Ko`olaupoko. The workshop is part of the civic club’s Ko`olaupoko Ahupua`a Boundary Marker project.

Ahu o LakaClub members Rocky Kaluhiwa, Jerry Kaluhiwa, Carol Bright and Mahealani Cypher all attended a recent meeting of the State Board of Land & Natural Resources, urging adoption of emergency rules to protect public safety and preserve the dignity of the island of Ahu o Laka in Kane`ohe bay. Also known as the Kane`ohe Sandbar, the island has suffered increasing crowds of recreational boaters over recent years, bringing problems stemming from alcohol use, rowdy behavior, and animals on the island. The Land Board voted unanimously to approve emergency rules restricting alcohol at the island during the July 4th and Labor Day weekends.

Cultural ConsultationsMembers of the Ko`olaupoko HCC recently heard presentations from representatives of the archaeological firm, Cultural Surveys Hawaii, on various projects being proposed or planned in the Ko`olaupoko/Kane`ohe bay area. Discussed were plans to improve wastewater facilities at Kualoa Park; removal of ordnance in Waikane Valley; and development of residential and agricultural lots on both sides of Likelike Highway at Luluku. Members were invited to share their mana`o with the archaeologists concerning any of these sites, or to refer other residents or those with cultural of these areas, to consult with the archaeological firm.

Cultural Practitioners Retreat
As a special project of the civic club, funded by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Ko`olaupoko Cultural Practitioners Retreat is being planned for sometime in August or September. This retreat will enable cultural practitioners from throughout Ko`olaupoko to gather for a 3-day retreat to discuss issues, concerns and opportunities to perpetuate the Hawaiian culture in the Ko`olaupoko area. Project manager Mahealani Cypher is seeking the names of cultural practitioners who would be interested in participating in the retreat. The club hopes to involve practitioners from each of the 11 ahupua`a within the moku of Ko`olaupoko. For more information, contact Mahealani Cypher, ph. 226-4195.

Building CommitteeOur civic club is in dire need of a place to call home – i.e., a piece of land and a modest building in which to house the many activities of our club. Rental costs for our unit at the Atrium Building, while given to us at a discount, are still difficult to support on a regular basis. The club has established Building Committee whose task will be to seek out benefactors to donate land and/or rental space for our club to continue our important community work. Blue Golden Smith is chairing this committee. If you are interested in serving on the committee, contact Blue via the civic club office, ph. 235-8111.

Ha`iku Valley
Our partner organization, the Ko`olau Foundation, has been awarded a grant to develop a conceptual plan for a cultural preserve in Ha`iku Valley. Representatives of the foundation and our civic club will be meeting soon with the Hawaiian Homes Department to ensure that continued work on this effort will be supported by the DHHL.

Distinguished Kama`aina BookWork on our new publication, honoring the individuals recognized by our civic club as distinguished Kama`aina of the Kane`ohe bay area, is nearly completed. We are still searching for a good photo of Johnny Townsend and George Houghtailing, both founders of our club; and Ulysses Jones, who was honored by our club in 2007. The publication will feature all of the distinguished kama`aina from 2006 until 2010, and the five people who established our club in 1937.